Bar and supporting means therefor



Jgn. 10, 1939 1.. T. MUELLER BAR AND SUPPORTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed March 12, 1938 1.0015 TMUELLER] Patented Jan. 10, 1939 Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 12, 1938, Serial No. 195,535

Claims.

This invention relates to supporting means for rods or the like and more particularly to supporting means for rods or bars employed as window guard rails. p

Although capable of general application, the invention has special utility when employed in connection with the windows of railway cars.

The general objects of the invention are to devise supporting and locking means for a rod or guard rail of this character, so'designed that the fastening means for the rod or rail'is normally concealed so as to prevent it from being released by unauthorized persons while at the .same time the rod or rail maybe readily removed from the supporting means by the use of a special key or similar device when desired. I

In order that the invention may be readily understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of my improved guard rail and its supporting brackets;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the method of assembling the rail in or removing it from the supporting brackets.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my improved bar or rail supporting means comprises a pair of spaced brackets l and 2, adapted to be secured by means of suitable screws passing through holes 3 to a window frame or other structure.

The bracket I has a socket 4 formed therein, adapted to receive the end of the rail or bar as hereinafter described, the open end of said socket being preferably somewhat smaller than the interior of the body thereof, as indicated at 5 in Figs. 2 and 3.

The other bracket 2 has in it an opposed socket 8 across which extends a pin 9 permanently set into the bracket.

The bar or rail itself is indicated at l0 and is shown as of tubular construction; The end thereof, which is adapted to be received in the socket 8 of the bracket 2, is provided with a pair of diametrically opposite V-shaped notches ll constructed to engage and interlock with the pin 9 as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This pin not only serves to limit the endwise movement of the bar ill, but also looks it against rotation.

In the other end of the bar or rail 10 is secured, as by welding, a block l2, and threaded through this block and disposed axially of the tubular rail is a screw I3. This extends a sub- (Cl. 20-71) I stantial distance beyond the end of the bar or rail and is provided at its free end with an enlarged head 14.

Formed in the outer end wall of the socket 4 of the bracket l is a seat 6, adapted to receive the head l4 of the screw, and extending from said seat outwardly through the end wall of the socket 4 is an opening 1. This opening, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is too small for the screw l3 to passthrough. In other words, in the construction illustrated, it is smaller than the diameter of thescrew head l4, so that this screw head bears against the portion of the seat 6 surrounding the opening I. .It will also be seen that the screw l3 and head I4 are entirely enclosed within the socket 4 of the bracket I, and are thus inaccessible to unauthorized persons,

In assembling my improved guardrail with its supporting brackets, the screw 13 is first turned up until it projects only a relatively short distance beyond the end of the bar Ill. The bar is then inserted in the socket 4 at a slight angle, as shown in Fig. 3, this angular position being permitted by reason of the enlarged interior of the socket 4. After this end of the bar has been inserted in the socket 4, the bar may be swung down into alignment with the socket 8 in the opposite bracket 2, and by a slight endwise movement the right hand end of the bar inserted into this socket, with the notches ll engaging the pin 9. Thereupon, by inserting a suitable implement such as a screw driver or key through the opening 1 and turning the screw 13 in a left handed or counter-clockwise direction, it may be backed out of the block l2 until its head l4 engages snugly against the seat 6. In this way, an axial thrust may be exerted against the bar or rail which forces the notches ll against the pin 9 and thus securely locks the rail in position.

It will be observed that the fastening means for the bar or rail are wholly inaccessible to any person not provided with the special key or tool necessary to operate the screw through the open ing 1, and in this way the accidental or unauthorized removal of the bar from the brackets is prevented.

When, however, it is desired to release and remove the bar, this may readily be accomplished by inserting a screw driver or the like through the opening 1 and turning the screw toward the right or in a clockwise direction, thus causing it to travel into the block l2, thus providing sufiicient space between the head of the screw and the seat 6 to permit the bar to be shifted endwise toward the left so as to disengage it from the pin 9 and socket 8 in the bracket 2.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that my improved structure comprises spaced brackets having a pair of opposed sockets adapted to receive the ends of the rail, and that screw means for clamping the rail in position is associated with one end thereof and wholly enclosed within the associated socket.

While I have shown a cylindrical bar or rail having notches l I engaging the pin ll for holding it against rotation, it will be understood that other means, such, for example, as forming the end of the rail of polygonal section, may be employed for holding it against rotation.

What I claim is:

1. The combination witha bar, of a pair of spaced brackets having opposed aligned sockets adapted to receive the ends of said bar, one of S i b c s hav n a vniepe maeeetl eeme thereto and extending across; the socket thereof, and the corresponding end of "said bar having a notch. dap d h nee sa pie; a r' means associated with the other end of said bar and enclosed within the cdrrspondir'ig socket for exerting an axial thrust on said bar for causing said notch to interlock with said pin.

l 2. The c'zombi'natio'n with a bar, "of a pair of spaced brackets having opposed aligned sockets adapted to receive the ends of said baran'd to limit the e'ndwise movement thereof, screw means associated with one end r said bar nd wholly enclosed within the sgcke't of the corresponding bracket for exerting an axial thrust against said bar to lock it in position between said brackets, and means for preventing rotation of said bar.

3. The combination'with a bar, of a pair of spaced brackets having opposed aligned sockets adapted to receive the ends of said bar, and limit the endwise movement thereof, and a screw threaded axially into one end of said bar and having a projecting free end arranged to bear against the end wall of the socket in the corresponding bracket, said screw being wholly enclosed within said socket, and said end Wall having an opening extending therethrou'gh in alignment with said screw but too small for said screw to pass through.

4,]Ifhecornbination with a bar, of a pair of spaced brackets having opposed aligned sockets adapted to receive the ends of said bar, and limit the endwi'se movement thereof, and a screw threaded axially into one end of said bar, said screw having at its free end an enlarged head, ,theend wall of the socket in the corresponding bracket having a seat adapted to receive said screw head, said screw being wholly enclosed within said socket and said end wall also having 2 an opening "extending therethrough from said seat but smaller in diameter than the head of said 'ser'ew, through which opening said screw may be operated.

, 5. The combination with a bar, of a pair of spaced brackets having opposed aligned sockets adapted to receive the ends of said bar, and limit the endwise movement thereof, a screw threaded axially into one end of said bar and having a projecting free end arranged to bear against the end wall or the "socket in the corresponding bracket, said screw being wholly enclosedwithin said socket, and said end wall having an opening 7 extending therethrough in alignment with said screw but too small for said screw to pass through, and means at the other end of said bar for holding it against rotation. LOUIS T. MUELLER. 

